(VANITY) TOURNAMENT OF CHART-TOPPERS ('70S) ROUND 7 - FINAL!

me | 2/27/18 | me

[commish]

American Pie.

[Family Guy]

American Pie

[Dr. Sivana]

Awful final.

I can’t cote for borderline blasphemy, so I’ll be a hipster and go with “Stayin’ Alive.” It’s ironic.

[RansomOttawa]

I have a suspicion how this will turn out, but on the other hand, these two hits are such classics, it may still be anyone's game.

Thanks for the fun! Suggestion: Do the 60s next.

3 1972 “American Pie” Don McLean
4 1978 “Stayin’ Alive” Bee Gees

[the OlLine Rebel]

I’d like to do more. Should I wait 3 years like the last round?

[the OlLine Rebel]

Alright, I’m posting for me and my husband: we’re both this time picking the same, Stayin’ Alive!

[georgiarat]

American Pie!

[The Citizen Soldier]

American Pie

[the OlLine Rebel]

The only Carpenters song in the top 7s and hence on this contest was “Close to You”, voted out of Round 3 (i.e., finished in the top 32 out of 70 songs).

But the Carpenters had ALOT of yearly top 100 hits, one of the very tops.

[the OlLine Rebel]

Alright, enough of the belly-aching!

I’m on my soapbox now. No offense meant here, but I really want to state my piece after 2 contests of my own.

This reaction to top 40 is predictable, and is why I put some vague comments in my threads about voting and even how I got the songs. I’m trying to avoid the inevitable belly-aching!

It has never failed with threads about music especially surveys, a bunch come out of the woodwork and complain about how “bad” the music is! Sorry, these are HITS that MOST people in our society actually LIKED, not the fringe element so prevalent on the Internet. I did NOT come up with this on my own; I explicitly stated these are as BILLBOARD tabulated the very best of the years (and there are 1000 songs on those charts if you want to check - that’s alot to pare down!). That way I avoid any subjectivity.

But alas, I knew still lots of people would bellyache about it being so bourgeois, so popular, so bad, as they always do.

(I’ve been on a contest where someone somehow picked random songs to be “best of” and I had no idea what some were or what their criteria were. And a rather obscure song won over a yearly #1! How can it be greatest of the decade if half the people never heard of it?)

If you want the fringe avante-garde stuff, feel free to make your own contest with your own rules!

Anyway, off my soapbox. I just have to get that out. It’s like a chigger under my skin.

[the OlLine Rebel]

TOURNAMENT OF CHART-TOPPERS 1970S PING LIST

(This is a temporary ping list, so don’t worry!)

!!!!SONG OF THE DECADE!!!!

"AMERICAN PIE" - DON MCLEAN - RANKED #3 ON BILLBOARD FOR 1972

...beats "STAYIN' ALIVE" by the BEE GEES, Ranked #4 for 1978 by Billboard.

THANKS FOR VOTING! POLL SUMMARY COMING UP.

[GnuThere]

Thanks for doing the tourney - it was fun.

[Bodleian_Girl]

Thanks for all your hard work on this!

[the OlLine Rebel]

TOURNAMENT OF CHART-TOPPERS 1970S PING LIST
(This is a temporary ping list, so don’t worry!)

A summary of the performance in our survey of each of the top 7 songs for the years in the ‘70s!

Results

year
rank song act best disposition

1970
1 “Bridge over Troubled Water” Simon & Garfunkel Round 4, Sweet 16
2 “(They Long to Be) Close to You” The Carpenters Round 3, top 32
3 “American Woman” The Guess Who Round 3, top 32
4 “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” B.J. Thomas Round 2, top 64
5 “War” Edwin Starr Round 2, top 64
6 “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” Diana Ross Round 2, top 64
7 “I’ll Be There” The Jackson 5 Round 1, ranking #7s

1971
1 “Joy to the World” Three Dog Night Round 6, Final 4
2 “Maggie May” Rod Stewart Round 5, Great 8
3 “It’s Too Late” Carole King Round 3, top 32
4 “One Bad Apple” The Osmonds Round 2, top 64
5 “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart” Bee Gees Round 2, top 64
6 “Indian Reservation (The Lament of the Cherokee Reservation Indian)” Paul Revere & the Raiders Round 2, top 64
7 “Go Away Little Girl” Donny Osmond Round 1, ranking #7s

1972
1 “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” Roberta Flack Round 2, top 64
2 “Alone Again (Naturally)” Gilbert O’Sullivan Round 3, top 32
3 “American Pie” Don McLean WINNER
4 “Without You” Harry Nilsson Round 3, top 32
5 “The Candy Man” Sammy Davis Jr. Round 2, top 64
6 “I Gotcha” Joe Tex Round 3, top 32
7 “Lean on Me” Bill Withers Round 4, Sweet 16

1973
1 “Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree” Tony Orlando & Dawn Round 2, top 64
2 “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” Jim Croce Round 5, Great 8
3 “Killing Me Softly with His Song” Roberta Flack Round 3, top 32
4 “Let’s Get It On” Marvin Gaye Round 2, top 64
5 “My Love” Paul McCartney & Wings Round 2, top 64
6 “Why Me” Kris Kristofferson Round 2, top 64
7 “Crocodile Rock” Elton John Round 4, Sweet 16

1974
1 “The Way We Were” Barbra Streisand Round 2, top 64
2 “Seasons in the Sun” Terry Jacks Round 3, top 32
3 “Love’s Theme” Love Unlimited Orchestra Round 3, top 32
4 “Come and Get Your Love” Redbone Round 2, top 64
5 “Dancing Machine” The Jackson 5 Round 2, top 64
6 “The Loco-Motion” Grand Funk Railroad Round 4, Sweet 16
7 “TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)” MFSB Round 1, ranking #7s

1975
1 “Love Will Keep Us Together” Captain & Tennille Round 3, top 32
2 “Rhinestone Cowboy” Glen Campbell Round 6, Final 4
3 “Philadelphia Freedom” Elton John Round 2, top 64
4 “Before the Next Teardrop Falls” Freddy Fender Round 2, top 64
5 “My Eyes Adored You” Frankie Valli Round 4, Sweet 16
6 “Shining Star” Earth, Wind & Fire Round 2, top 64
7 “Fame” David Bowie Round 2, top 64

1976
1 “Silly Love Songs” Wings Round 4, Sweet 16
2 “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” Elton John & Kiki Dee Round 2, top 64
3 “Disco Lady” Johnnie Taylor Round 2, top 64
4 “December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)” The Four Seasons Round 3, top 32
5 “Play That Funky Music” Wild Cherry Round 5, Great 8
6 “Kiss and Say Goodbye” The Manhattans Round 2, top 64
7 “Love Machine” The Miracles Round 1, ranking #7s

1977
1 “Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright)” Rod Stewart Round 3, top 32
2 “I Just Want to Be Your Everything” Andy Gibb Round 3, top 32
3 “Best of My Love” The Emotions Round 3, top 32
4 “Evergreen (Love Theme from A Star Is Born)” Barbra Streisand Round 2, top 64
5 “Angel in Your Arms” Hot Round 2, top 64
6 “I Like Dreamin’” Kenny Nolan Round 2, top 64
7 “Don’t Leave Me This Way” Thelma Houston Round 1, ranking #7s

1978
1 “Shadow Dancing” Andy Gibb Round 2, top 64
2 “Night Fever” Bee Gees Round 2, top 64
3 “You Light Up My Life” Debby Boone Round 2, top 64
4 “Stayin’ Alive” Bee Gees ROUND 7 FINALIST
5 “Kiss You All Over” Exile Round 3, top 32
6 “How Deep Is Your Love” Bee Gees Round 4, Sweet 16
7 “Baby Come Back” Player Round 4, Sweet 16

1979
1 “My Sharona” The Knack Round 5, Great 8
2 “Bad Girls” Donna Summer Round 3, top 32
3 “Le Freak” Chic Round 3, top 32
4 “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” Rod Stewart Round 2, top 64
5 “Reunited” Peaches & Herb Round 2, top 64
6 “I Will Survive” Gloria Gaynor Round 2, top 64
7 “Hot Stuff” Donna Summer Round 1, ranking #7s

[the OlLine Rebel]

You’re welcome. I love having these little fun games, especially with music - near and dear to me!

Maybe next time the ‘60s - but when should I do it? I took 3 years between the ‘80s and ‘70s! At that rate, hold onto your hats for 2021!

[GnuThere]

3 years is a long time!

[the OlLine Rebel]

Can’t believe I let so much time go by. Was intending every year at worst.

[GnuThere]

Sounds like my home maintenance list, hahaha.

[stylin19a]

couldn’t get away from the beegees...soon as I voted one out, bam ! andy gibb shows up. Just shoot me.

So I look at our wedding pictures 1974....a lot of leisure suits\plaids\platform shoes\afros on white guys

gave me the heebie jeebies !

Sad thing is, the 80’s are mostly a mystery to me, so no funny stuff on the next vote down.
I’m serious. Don’t make me come over there !

[PROCON]

Yes, 'American Pie' was an everlasting favorite that still plays well today.

Thanks for the fun music contest!

What's next, the '60's, the '80's 😀😀

Or are you music(ed) out? 😱😱